20

Mar

Police arrest 13 protestors

PANAJI: Panaji police on Monday arrested 13 persons, who were part of the mining dependents protest in the city, after the agitation turned violent leading to damage to vehicles, attack on police personnel and paralysing of vehicular traffic on the National Highway for several hours.
A number of persons including Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral were injured during the protest. As per information, five members from the agitators were injured while five police constables including two lady police constables were injured.
Police said that the accused who have been arrested have been identified as Deepak Parab (35) from Kothambi, Pale-Bicholim, Laxmikant Ghadi (33) from Surla- Pale, Shamba Gaus (49) from Pale-Bicholim, Parmod Shigaonkar (42) from Shigao, Collem, Sandesh Surlakar (25) from Surla, Bicholim, Jeetendra Kundaikar (39) from Sirsaim, Bella Vista Bardez, Sadanand Naik (59) from Shiroda, Ponda, Mohandas Kamat (45) from Sacorda, Dharbandora, Rupesh Kamat (37) from Velguem, Bicholim, James Frank (52) from Sirsaim, Bardez, Vasudev Yadav (39) from Pale, Bicholim, Mahesh Naik (50) from Talaulim, Ponda and Sanjay Shet from Surla, Bicholim.
Police said that on the basis of a complaint filed by Executive Magistrate, Panaji, an FIR has been registered for damaging government property, attacking police personnel and also under other offences.
A number of vehicles which included a police bus, a fire brigade, a four-wheeler of the district administration, KTC buses as well as two buses from Maharashtra were damaged during the incident.
“I suffered an injury owing to lathi charge by Maharashtra police personnel during the agitation. Around five mining dependent protestors were injured and there could be more,” said Cabral while speaking to media persons outside the police station in the city.
Cabral, along with MLAs Prasad Gaonkar and Deepak Pauskar, was at the Panaji police station after the protestors were arrested.
“Today what happened is not proper. To a certain extent, the agitators were also at fault. They did not withdraw when we requested,” said Cabral adding “but I feel those who instigated the agitators were not from the mining dependents. Majority of those who created violence were non-mining dependents. After the stone-pelting incident, police got agitated and hence the subsequent lathi charge.”
Meanwhile, Director General of Police (DGP) Dr Muktesh Chander has directed the police personnel to maintain vigil in all areas so that unlawful crowds do not form and protestors are not able to travel towards Panaji city to cause disruption on National Highway, as the agitation is likely to continue on Tuesday.